I then find the realtors number and give them a call with my offer.I have a investor who I have been working with who is awesome and has been supportive when helping me run numbers or evaluating other aspects of a property such as Curb appeal. 

However, if I have someone who is longer than 3 months I have sent a cleaner to evaluate the space if I think it may be needed. 

Further, asking for a contingent fee agreement will get you a bottom-line, thorough evaluation of your case.

4) Seek to help them solve their problem5) ask them what they need $ to get out of the house, and evaluate if you think that's possibleI'm learning to ask a tremendous amount of questions and am finding that I can keep the conversations going far longer than me offering my "insight", I'd encourage you to door knock these people and have a question based conversation so you can learn as much as you can about the property and make your decision on your course of action after that!  

I paid a septic inspector to teach me everything he looks for when evaluating a system.

I do think that just like any investment you have to be picky and really evaluate a deal before buying it.

The loans evaluate the property's ability to pay the principal, interest, taxes, insurance, etc. from the rental income without considering the investor's separate W2 wages. 

hello to all. just a quick description of myself. i am a real estate investor working in the western New York area. i have been doing this in this area for 12 years now, with many successes. i am a licensed home inspector, work as a handyman for a local property management company, and currently own several investment houses. i can safely say that i know the area quite well. given my home inspectors experience, i feel very confident in my ability to judge the condition of a house and evaluate the rehab to bring it back to a marketable condition. having a degree in accounting, i feel quite confident in my ability to manage the numbers part of the transaction as well. having recently passed a course in furnace installation and repair, i feel i can safely replace appliances such as the furnace if need be and a water heater if need be, saving large sums of money in the rehab. he is what i am looking for. i am looking for a HML to fund my latest find. a 4 bedroom, one bath house with two stall garage in a family neighborhood that i currently own 2 houses in and have purchased more in the same neighborhood in the passed. 

Evaluate each "deal" based on your verifiable numbers, design capabilities, and return requirements. 

If you get a positive evaluation, you should hire an MAI appraiser, to render an opinion of the fair market value of the property.